The vision ofthe Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) Research Enterprise is to be a leading national resource for conducting clinical and translational research that produces high-quality, costeffective and culturally relevant solutions that improve health and wellness in minority and poor populations. By promoting strategies that create synergy in research teams and between investigators and the community, CDU will create novel best practice solutions to transform the health of underserved communities that can be used as innovative models throughout the nation and the world. CDU submits this application in response to the NIH Program Announcement (PAR-08-262) to implement the consolidation of the Comprehensive Center for Health Disparities (CCHD) and Clinical Research Center (CRC) into Accelerating excellence In Science (AXIS). AXIS will be the catalyst to implement the CDU research strategic plan and will become the integrated home for clinical and translational research. AXIS will house experienced and dedicated leadership; a myriad of clinical and translational, community, training, and technology resources; and excellent research consultation services. As its cornerstone, AXIS wi|l have multiand interdisciplinary collaborations between CDU investigators and community partners. These team science activities will be supported by CDU biomedical informatics resources, and other innovative research tools and information technologies (detailed below) aligned in an integrated manner to create a vibrant center for clinical and translational science. The overall purpose of AXIS is to better position CDU for conducting clinical and translational research, especially research that is focused on health disparities. The goals are to: Goal 1: Transform the CDU research enterprise from traditional basic and clinical research domains into a highly integrated clinical and translational research environment by reorganizing research administration, centralizing and enhancing physical and intellectual resources, and promoting participation in the RCMI Translational Research Network (RTRN) and Clinical and Translational Science Institutes (CTSI). Goal 2: Develop a unique model for community, multi-disciplinary, and/or multi-institutional partnerships that ensures that clinical and translational research yields high-quality, cost-effective health outcomes Goal 3: Implement innovative translational research training and career development activities at CDU and in partnership with RTRN that recognize that the interdependence of basic science, clinical discovery, and patient-oriented research will accelerate improved patient outcomes.